How many days do I need in Hoi An?
Two full days covers Hoi An well. Day one: old town, heritage sites, and an evening Lantern Festival walk. Day two: An Bang Beach and Thanh Ha pottery village. Three days allows for a cooking class, tailor fitting (24-hour turnaround), and the riverside night market. More than four days tips into diminishing returns unless you're making day trips to My Son or Hue.
The honest answer
Two full days is the right amount for most travelers. The old town is compact, the distances are small, and the key experiences don’t require more time than that — they require good timing.
Three days is ideal if you want to combine beach, old town, and a tailor fitting without rushing.
Four or more makes sense only if you’re using Hoi An as a base for day trips (My Son, Marble Mountains, Hue) or doing multiple tailor fittings.
Day-by-day breakdown
Day 1 — The old town
Morning (7–11am): Buy the 120,000 VND old town ticket at one of the 11 booths. Visit the Japanese Covered Bridge (iconic, 5 minutes), Phuc Kien Assembly Hall (30 minutes, worth it), and Tan Ky Old House (20 minutes, optional).
Late morning (11am–1pm): Lunch. Cao lau at Quan Thanh on Thai Phien Street. Or com ga at Ba Buoi (chicken rice). Avoid the tourist menus on Tran Phu.
Afternoon (1–4pm): The hottest part of the day. Hide in a cafe, browse the tailor strip on Nguyen Duy Hieu, or nap. This is the only sensible approach.
Evening (5–10pm): The pedestrian zone activates — motorbikes banned, lanterns lit. Walk the riverside. Release a paper lantern on the Thu Bon River (30,000–50,000 VND from vendors).
Day 2 — Beach and village
Morning (8am–noon): Bike or Grab to An Bang Beach (4km, 15 min by bike). Swim. Eat a beach breakfast at one of the bamboo cafes. Return to town before noon heat.
Afternoon: Thanh Ha pottery village — 15-minute bike ride west. Watch potters at work. Buy something small. Free entry; workshop demos 20,000 VND.
Evening: Tailor district if you haven’t visited. Night market on Nguyen Hoang Street.
Day 3 (if you have it)
Cooking class — most start at 8am and run to noon. Good Morning Hoi An and Red Bridge are the established options (350,000–600,000 VND). Includes a market tour.
Or: a morning at Cam Thanh coconut forest (Bay Mau). Circular boats (thuyền thúng) take you through waterway channels lined with nipa palms. 150,000–200,000 VND for a 40-minute ride.
For shorter stays
One day: Morning old town, afternoon rest, evening pedestrian zone. Prioritize one or two heritage sites over trying to see everything.
Overnight only: Arrive late afternoon, evening walk through the lantern-lit streets, depart next morning. Surprisingly satisfying.